Cleaning mop



Oct. 19, 1954 c. H. 'rHoMAssoN 2,691,788

CLEANING MOF Filed March 1, 195o y Zal/e515. Maf/mmm BY r Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE CLEANING MOP Charles H. Thomasson, Richmond, Va.

Application March 1, 1950, Serial No..14=6,94=l

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to specialized mops.

Conventional mops may be divided into two classes. In the rst class are mops, the working heads of which do not maintain any denite shape, but freely change their shape as they are pushed about upon the surface being cleaned. An example of such mop is one, the head of which is made of absorbent cotton strands, useful in swabbing water onto a floor when soaked, and for picking it up after having been squeezed.

The present invention relates to a mop, the head of which has a normally sustained shape, but capable of being modified to conform to surfaces of different contour, responsive to pressure of the mop against the surface to be cleaned, with complementary yielding of the shape-sustaining means. The mop of the present invention is particularly designed for cleaning the rounded surfaces and corners of bath tubs, as well as flat surfaces such as that of tile.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a mop comprising a rigid handle having a stiffly yieldable core piece at its inner end, the core piece and the adjacent portion of the handle being embedded within the head of the mop in shape-sustaining relation thereto, the core piece being yieldable under pressure of the mop into the concave corner of the bath tub, for example, to permit the head of the mop to conform with adjacent pressure to the shape of the surface against which it is pressed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mop of the character described, in which the head material is replaceable, being placed about the yieldable core piece and the adjacent portion of the handle, and being secured by a series of fastening elements parallel to the core piece, engaging the head material at spaced points so as to provide a flexible closure seam which opposes no impediment to the flexing of the mop head controlled by the yielding of the core piece.

While cellulose sponge is referred to as the mop head material in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that other materials having substantially similar properties may be employed.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of practical embodiments thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a perspective view of a mop incorporating the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, parts being shown in section and fragmentary;

Referring to the drawings, and first adverting to Figures 1 to 4, the numeral i5 represents a handle having at one end a stiiily iiexible core piece I'B that may be of solid or tubular rubber or like material, the core piece I6 being secured to the end of the handle by a screw l1. As shown, the mop head I3 is of rectangular configuration, having a rectangular cut out pocket i9, into which the core piece I6 and the adjacent portion of the handle l5 is inserted. The core piece it engages the bottom of the pocket I9. The cellulose mop head I8 is provided with eyelets secured into the side walls of the pocket adjacent each edge, as shown in Figure 3. The eyelets receive tie laces 2|, as shown. These laces are pulled taut and tied. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, when the laces are tied, the cellulose material at the top of the mop head is compressed, thus firmly aifixing the mop head to the handle l5, as well as the core piece.

Since the eyelets 20 are spaced, the closure seam is fiexible. When the mop is pressed into a concave recess formed for example by the adjacent perpendicular Walls of a bath tub, the core piece i6 will yield or bend, permitting the mop head I8 to change its shape to conform to the surface pressed against. A uniformly forceful surface contact between the mop and the tub in the corners, can thus be obtained.

From the above description it is obvious that I have provided a mop, the head of which is readily replaceable. Furthermore, by using a long handle in connection with the mop, one does not have to bend over when cleaning, but can stand erect. Due to the flexibility of the core piece I8, the core piece will yield when the handle is pressed forcibly against a surface that is not planiform, to permit the mop head to conform to any type of corner that it may engage. Due to the fact that the closure seam also is flexible, the securing means will oppose no impediment to the flexing of the mop head. Y

I am aware that changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the exact showing, it being obvious that changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

A cleaning mop comprising a substantially rectangular head of resilient absorbent material having a rectangular cut out pocket therein, eyelets on opposite sides of said pocket, a handle, a circular resilient core member transversely secured to the end of said handle, said circular core member engaging the bottom of said pocket, said eyelets having tie laces therethrough closing the top of said pocket over said core member and holding said handle, core and mop in assembled relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Number 15 487,207

Name Date Baskin Feb. 1, 1910 Hayden Sept. 5, 1911 Fuller May 7, 1912 Reilly Jan. 2, 1917 DAlbora Aug. 9, 1927 Bates Dec. 31, 1940 Bernstein Jan. 13, 1942 Hertzberg Feb. 22, 1944 Olesky June 5, 1951 Rich Aug. 14, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 16, 1938 

